1. Technical Field
An aspect of the present invention relates an image reading apparatus.
2. Related Art
An image reading apparatus having a main unit and a conveyer unit on top of the main unit is known. The main unit may include a flatbed, on which a sheet of original document to be read is placed, and an image reader, which is movable along the flatbed in a range from one side to the other side of the flatbed. Whilst being moved along the flatbed, the image reader scans and read an image appearing on the sheet.
In the image reading apparatus, the conveyer unit may be coupled to the main unit via hinges to be swingable about a swing axis, which extends in parallel with the moving direction of the image reader. The hinge may include an in-main-unit section, which is inserted in a pit formed in the main unit, and an in-conveyer-unit section, which is fixed to the conveyer unit, whilst the in-main-unit section and the in-conveyer-unit section are rotatable with respect to each other. Thereby, the conveyer unit may be movable between a closed position, in which the conveyer unit covers the flatbed in the main unit, and an open position, in which the flatbed is exposed.
Further, the conveyer unit may include a bottom cover, which faces the flatbed when the conveyer unit is in the closed position, and a sheet conveyer, which is arranged on top of the bottom cover. The bottom cover may have a linear opening, which extends along a direction orthogonal to the swing axis of the conveyer unit. The bottom cover may fall in a position above the image reader being in an initial stopped position when the conveyer unit is in the closed position. Whilst the sheet is conveyed in the conveyer unit, the image reader in the stopped position can read the image on the sheet passing over the image reader through the opening.